Car construction



Sept. 15, 1936. G. G. GlLPlN CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 24, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 15, 1.936. G, G, G|LP|N 2,054,783

CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 24, 1955 s sneetssheet 2 y CAR CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 24, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR CONSTRUCTION poration of Delaware Application August 24, 1933, Serial No. 686,526 16 claims. (o1. 10s-409) The invention relates to railway cars and morev particularly to side walls of open top railway cars. These side walls perform two functions. First, they are the load retaining means, and secondly, they are girders carrying the major portion of the weight of the lading to the body bolsters from whence it is transferred to the trucks. In certain types of railway cars my construction may also be used.

An object of the invention is to provide a very light and strong car wall which can be quickly and economically made, installed and repaired.

Such walls must be very light, as it is expensive to transport dead weight in a car and such walls must be very strong as girders to carry the load referred to above and must be very strong as vertical beams to carry the horizontal thrust of the lading, which is very great on account of the impact thereof due tothe movements of the car when running. The parts of the wall must be capable of easy assemblage because replacements frequently are necessary on account of wearing out of the parts, corrosion and wrecks. f

Another object of the invention is to provide such a car wall wherein the stakes are covered by the side sheets of the car, and, therefore, not in contact with the lading, which construction protects the stakes against abrasion of the lading when the car is being loaded or dumped andalso protects the stakes against corrosion (moist Vcoal causes excessive corrosion).

Another object of the invention is to provide a car Wall so that the component parts thereof may be secured together by bolting, riveting or welding.

Another object is to provide a car wall wherein the component parts can be made of pressed steel platesbetween reciprocating dies. l

Another object is to provide a car wall to ob- Y tainthe maximum cubical capacity of the car commensurate with the strength requirements.

Another object is to provide a car which will dump the entire lading when turned upside down in an unloading machine. 1 Y n In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a part of the side elevation of a railway car equipped with my improved side wall.

Fig. 2'is a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Fig'. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

l.. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1. .Y Fig. Gis a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 1 1 of Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9, l0, and 11 show modied constructions of the post and associated parts. 5`

Figs. 12, 13, and 14 show a modified construction, wherein Fig. 13 isa section on line 13-13 of Fig. 12.

In the form of the invention illustrated the car wall comprises an upper chord 2, a lower chord 3, a plurality of wallsheets 4 secured to the upper and lower chords and a plurality of stakes dis.v posed between adjacent sheets and secured'to the chords and to the sheets.

Each wall sheet Yli has side 'I and end 8 marginal portions, a central portion 9 offset in a spaced apart plane substantially parallel to the plane of the marginal portions '1 -8 and side IQ and end Il connecting web portions. Each stake comprises a middle part I5 and spaced apart side flanges I6, each of the side iiangesbeing provided with a reiiange Il. (See Fig. 4),.- The side marginal portions of adjacent sheets and the middle part of the stake are secured together by the rivet 26, as shown in Fig. 4, or by the weld 2l, as shown in Fig. 9. When Welded, the side flanges iB of the stakes and the webs l of the sheets may be closer together, therebyl increasing the cubical capacity of the car. The reanges I'l of the stake 5 are preferably also attached to the central portionsr 9 of adjacent sheets by rivets 22 or weld 23. This construction provides co-operation between the y adjacent sheets and the stake to form a very strong structure, both as a beam to resist the horizontal load thrust and as a strut between the upper and lower chords of the side wall.

The flanges H6 and reflanges l1 of the stake at the end of the stake merge to substantially a common plane for attachment to a frame mem- 40 v ber, such as the upper or lower chords 2 3.

This common plane is preferably the plane of the middle part l5 of the stake. 1

The sloping parts iilcf these reiianges l1 Vare preferably in close proximity to. and secured to 45' car and may also be secured ,thereto by the rivets 55- 33 or welded, but these elements may be spaced apart, if desired, as shown in Fig. 10.V Fig.V 11 shows a modified construction wherein the offset portions 9 of the wall sheets 5 are provided with another offset Vportion 36 (or panel) ina spaced apart plane from the oiset portion 9 of the wall sheet. .These panels further increase the cubical capacity of the car and are preferably positioned with their outer surfaces substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the reflanges, as shown at 36. If rivets 3l are used the panel may be moved outwardly until the outer surfaces 38 thereof are substantially flush with the outer partV of .the rivet heads.

In cars hauling very heavy loads I provide straps l0-extending between and secured to the reanges of the. stake to prevent Ythe stake from spreading, as shown in Fig. 10. These straps may be applied at intervals tothe stake or a cover plate may be used extending between the opposite ends of the stake. Y

In the modiiication shown in Figs. 12, 13, and 14 the upper (2) and lower (53) chords, orrat leastV the vertical ilanges 51-52 thereof, are positioned in spaced apart parallel planes, which condition is frequently met in car construction. 'Ihe wall sheets extend between the upperand lower chords and are secured to the anges thereof.

The marginal portions 'i of the sheets are sub- Y.

stantially in the plane of the upper iiange 5I for the major portionv of their length'and in the plane of the lower flange 52 for the remainder of their length. The central portion 9 of the sheets (extending between the marginal portions) is substantially in the plane of the. lower flangeY 52 for the major portion of its length and in the plane of the upper flange 5|.for the remainder of its length. At the lower end of the stake the middle part l5 thereof merges into substantially the plane of the refianges I1 of the stake and is secured to the flange 52 of the lower chord 5i) and,

also preferably to the side sheets. At the upper end .of the stake the reflanges l1 of the stake merge into substantially the plane of the middle part l5 of the stake and are secured to the flange 5I of the upper chord Vand also preferably to the side sheets. The corrugations 53 are long enough to overlap the flange 52 and the sloping part 54 of thestake. Y l n VI prefer that the sloping parts 54 of the stake at the top and bottom thereof conform to the sloping parts 55 `of the wall sheets so as to obtain a neat construction and, if desired, the slopingV parts of the stake and wall sheets may be secured together by welding or by a rivet Y56.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of 'construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

l. A wall for an open top railway car having an upper chord, a lower chord, a vertical stake connecting said chords, said stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart flanges, each having a reflange, and a wall sheet on each side of said stake, each sheet having a side margin and a portion offset therefrom to increase the rcubical capacity of the car, the side margins ofthe sheets being secured to the middle part of the stake, Said sheets completely overlapping the stake Vso as to .protect the stake against abrasion and chemical action of the lading.

2. A wall for a railway car comprising a stake comprising a'middle part and spaced apart side flanges, each provided with a reiiange, and wall sheets, each having a side margin, a portion offset therefrom, a web connecting the margin and the offset portion, and a panel in a spaced apart plane from said oiiset portion, the side margins of adjacent sheets and the middle part of the stake being secured together, Ythe outer surface of the panel being substantially flush with the Vouter surface of the rerlanges.

3.7A wall for a railway car comprising a stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart side iianges, each provided with a reflange, and wall sheets, Veach having a side margin, a portion offset therefrom, a web Vconnecting'the margin and the oifset portion, and a panel in a spaced apart Vplane from said offset portion, the side margins of adjacent sheets and the middle partY of the stake being secured together, lrivets securing the offset portions of the sheets to vthe reflanges, respectively, of the stakes, the outer surface of the panel being'substantially iiush with the outer part of the heads of the rivets.

4. A wall for a railway car comprising a stake comprising a middle part and spaced Vapart side flanges, each provided with a'reange, wall sheets,

imity toY said side flanges, the sidev margins YofV adjacent sheets and the middle part of the `stake being secured together.-

5. A wall vfor al railway car comprising a stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart side lianges, and wall sheets, each having side and end margins and acentral portionrofiset therefrom, the side margins'of adjacent sheets and the middle part of the stake being secured together, the oiset portions'of the sheets and the anges of the stake merging into a substantially common plane for attachment to Va frame member of the car. Y

6. A wall for a railway car comprising a frame member, a. stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart side flanges,'and Wall sheets, each having rside and end margins and'acentral portion offset therefrom, the side Vmarginsv of adjacent sheets and the middle part of the stake being secured together, the offset portions -of the sheets and the flanges of the stake merging into substantially the plane of the marginal portions of the sheet, said merged elements being secured to said frame member.

'7. A wall for a railway car comprising a stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart side `flanges, each provided with a reflange, and wall sheets, each having side and'end margins and a central portion offsettherefrom, the side margins of adjacent sheets and the middleV part of the stake being secured together, the'offset portins of the sheets being secured tothe adjacent re- Vflange of the stake, theV offsetV portions of the the adjacent reflange of the stake, the offset portions of the sheets, the flanges and the reflanges of the stake merging into substantially the plane of the marginal portions of the sheet, said merged elements being secured to said frame member.

9. A wall for a railway car comprising an upper chord having a vertical flange, a lower chord having a vertical flange, said flanges being in spaced apart parallel planes, wall sheets attached to said flanges respectively, the marginal portions of the sheets being substantially in the plane of the upper flange for the major portion of their length and in the plane of the lower flange for the remainder of their length, the central portions of the sheets between said marginal portions being substantially in the plane of the lower flange for` the major portion of their length and in the plane of the upper flange for the remainder of their length, and a stake having a middle part adjacent to and secured to the marginal portions of adjacent sheets, said stake having spaced lapart flanges, each provided with a reflange which conforms to the shape of the adjacent central portions of the wall sheets, said stake being secured to the upper and lower chords respectively.

10. A wall for a railway car comprising an upper chord having a vertical flange, a lower chord having a vertical flange, said flanges being in spaced apart parallel planes, wall sheets attached to said flanges respectively, the marginal portions of the sheets being substantially in the plane of the upper ange for the major portion of their length and in the plane of the lower flange for the remainder of their length, the central portions of the sheets between said marginal portions being substantially in the plane of the lower flange for the major portion of their length and in the plane of the upper flange for the remainder of their length, and a stake having a middle part adjacent to and secured to the marginal portions of adjacent sheets, said stake having spaced apart flanges, each provided with a reflange which conform to the shape of and are secured to the adjacent central portions of the wall sheets, said stake being secured to the upper and lower chords respectively.

11. A wall for a railway car comprising an upper chord, a lower chord, and wall sheets, each sheet comprising marginal portions at the sides and top thereof and a central portion in a spaced apart substantially parallel plane, the lower parts of the side marginal portions merging into the plane of the central portion, the upper part of the central portion merging into the plane of the marginal.

portion, and a stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart flanges, each provided with a reflange, the lower portion of said middle part and the upper portions of the reanges merging into the plane of the middle part, means to secure the lower parts of the wall sheets and the end of the stake to the lower chord, and means to secure the upper parts of the wall sheets and the end of the stake to the upper chord, the side marginal portions of adjacent wall sheets and the middle part of the stake being secured together.

12. A wall for a railway car comprising spaced apart horizontal frame members, spaced apart vertical stakes, each comprising a middle part and spaced apart ilanges, each of said ilanges being provided with a reflange, and wall sheets, each sheet having a side margin and a portion offset therefrom adjacent the reflange and panels in a spaced apart plane from said offset portions extending between the reflanges of adjacent stakes Vto increase the cubical capacity of the car, the

side margins of the wall sheets being secured to the middle part of the adjacent stake.

13. A wall for an open top railway car having an upper chord, a lower chord, spaced apart stakes connecting said chords, each stake comprising a middle part and oppositely projecting flanges, and a wall sheet extending between said stakes with the side marginal portions thereof secured to said middle parts of the stakes, respectively, said wall sheet having a portion offset from the marginal portions and positioned adjacent said flanges, said sheet also having a panel projecting outwardly from the offset portions and extending therebetween to increase the cubical capacity of the car.

14. In an open top railway car having a horizontal chord, a stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart flanges each provided with a reflange, said flanges and said middle part merging into a common plane to form a marginal portion, means securing said marginal portion to said chord, said stake having a stiffening rib which overlaps the chord and merges into one of said reanges. Y

15. In an open top railway car having a horizontal chord, a stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart flanges each provided with a reflange, said flanges and said middle part merging into a common plane to form a marginal portion, means securing said marginal portion to said chord, said stake having a stilening rib on each side of the middle part thereof which overlap the chord and merge into said reflanges.

16. A stake comprising a middle part and spaced apart flanges, each provided with a reilahge, said flanges and said middle part merging into a common plane to form a marginal portion for attachment to a frame member, said stake having a stiffening rib which overlaps said marginal portion and merges into one of said reflanges.

GARTH G. GILPIN. 

